Angela's Salvation (24 page)

Lizzie and Devon had both kept up with her on tour and she was really looking forward to seeing them again, even if she knew their attention would be focused on tonight's performances. The dress she was wearing gained her several admiring looks as they made it through airport security, but there was only one person's attention she hoped she'd catch.

They arrived at the gate where Nolan's private aircraft had just landed, and she felt her stomach fill with butterflies.  Smoothing down the sequined blue material, she willed her hands to stop shaking.  It felt like an entire lifetime had passed since they'd been in the same place together, and when he walked through the passage way her heart skipped a beat.

So damn beautiful, he thought giving a smile before he had time to think about what he was doing.  The new recording label had gone off without a hitch, and while he was excited about the new business adventure, his mind had been on one beautiful blonde angel, and now she was standing before him.  "I hear everything went incredibly well on the tour."  It wasn't what he wanted to say, he wanted to tell her how much he'd missed her and longed for things to be different.

Taking a deep breath, she allowed her eyes to roam over his gorgeous body encased in the formal tuxedo.  "I missed having you there," she managed to whisper, longing overcoming every thought she had in her head.

To say he was shocked at her confession was a definite understatement.  He'd thought with all her new fame she'd have very little time to consider him at all.  "I watched some of the recordings you were just as amazing as I knew you'd be."  He couldn't tell her just how many times he'd thought of her over the last few months, it wasn't fair to desire what he couldn't have.

"I didn't come here to talk about my performance Nolan," she wished he would give any indication that he'd missed her as well, but it seemed that just wasn't the case.  Maybe what they'd shared didn't mean as much to him as it did to her, she had to consider that.  "I'd hoped I could talk you into taking me to the contest tonight."  Was she being too pushy?

The show, of course, why else would she have come, he thought despondently.  "I'd be honored to escort you."  He knew the reporters would be thrilled with the prospect of them showing up together, and he was sure Sanders had told her it would be good publicity.  Even though that thought process made sense, it wasn't the reason he wanted her to be by his side.

His security team escorted them back to the waiting limousine, and they slid into their seats silently.  She didn't know how to start a conversation about what she wanted from him, and he apparently wasn't going to speak about anything
but work, she noticed as he pulled out his computer and started going over his business schedule.  For a moment she considered flinging his laptop in the floor, making him pay attention to her, but decided that was just a little too irrational. Her temper was almost at a boiling point when his phone rang, since he was virtually ignoring her presence.     

"What the hell do you mean she can't perform, we're less than an hour away from production!"  Their main act had cancelled at the last minute, claiming she had strep t
hroat, and considering that the show had been building up her performance for a month this could have serious repercussions.   "Yes she's riding in with me, I'll ask if she'll consider it, but damn it I want action taken against the group, strep throat doesn't come on in a few hours, they had plenty of time to notify us!"  He slammed his phone shut, hoping Angela would be willing to fill in or the ratings for the show could take a big hit.

"Mirage just cancelled on us, I need a replacement, would you consider going on tonight?"  He knew he had no right to ask her to do a last minute gig, but he was really out of options here.

She wanted to tell him to go to hell after the silent treatment he'd given her for the last fifteen minutes, but knew she couldn't be so callous.   "Sure Nolan, I'll go on, with one exception." She might not be able to turn him down in good conscious, but she could get a little payback out of this deal.

"Well I'm pretty much in a bind here Angela, so whatever it is you want it's yours." 
He wasn't sure why he was surprised that she was going to make demands now, but the fact that she was turning out just like the other singing Diva's he worked with made him feel a moment of regret.

"You accompany me and we do that song we worked on during rehearsals for the show."  She watched his beautiful eyes widen at what she was suggesting, and had to smile.  She knew he hadn't performed publicly in years, and what she was asking would pull him completely out of his comfort zone.

"Angela the pianist we have for the show would be a much better choice, this is live television after all."  The thought of performing for a crowd again was something he hadn't even considered since he took over the company, and for the first time in years he felt a wave of nervousness fill him.

"That's my offer Fitzgerald, take it or find another performer."  She knew he didn't have time to get a fill in on such short notice and this was one demand that he'd have to meet.  She felt a little guilty about throwing him into this without warning, but it was only a small smidge of guilt, she told herself.  He was so incredibly talented and he hid away his gifts, just like he hid the wonderful man he clouded behind his smart ass attitude.

They arrived at the auditorium that had been rented out for the final performance of Overnight Sensation, and he actually felt a little nauseated at the thought of being in the limelight this way again.  "You are not leaving me much of a choice here."  He should be furious that she was manipulating him so completely, but he had to admit there was a small part of himself that missed being a part of the music.

She slid out of the seat as the security guard opened the door, and murmured under her breath
, "I guess that makes us even."  She wanted to smack him for how he had treated her since the last time they were together, but at the same time she wanted him to pull her into his arms and have him tell her that he actually gave a damn."

They had no time to do anything but hurry as
arrangements were made for their performance.  This event would blow anything Mirage could have done off the stage, and the crowd tonight was getting a rare treat.  The last show of the season was always a huge production and tonight would definitely be one for the press to talk about for weeks. 

Lizzie, Devon, and Trisha had all survived for the finals, and regardless of who won, they all would have promising careers in the music industry because of their endurance.  Even as Angela thought about her and Nolan's performance with nervous anticipation, she still hoped Lizzie or Devon took the title of Overnight Sensation this year.  Trisha might have trained longer, but her attitude of superiority still ticked her off.  Even now, when she had proven she had the ability to be a success the woman stuck her nose up in the air as if she were better.

Nolan had abandoned her the moment they made it through the crowd with backstage passes, and she knew he was warming up but it still irked her that he couldn't seem to get away quickly enough.  Leaving her with her former competitors made her almost as nervous as they seemed to be, and it was the last thing she needed tonight.  Performing with Nolan was going to take all her concentration, and not because she worried she'd screw up.  Over the last few months she'd gained a confidence in her ability that made her feel like a changed woman.  She just hoped that everyone on that stage wouldn't see that she was head over heels in love with a man who didn't seem to reciprocate her feelings.

Lizzie was the first to perform after the initial walk down memory lane from their beginning performances on the show, and she was as incredible as Angela knew she could be. 
Her interviews aired next and then Trisha took the stage, and as much as she hated to admit it, the woman knew how to control a stage and had the crowd mesmerized.

Devon personified the country music industry with his performance and it was easy to t
ell from the thousand young women cheering he'd been a huge sensation tonight as well.  Angela was glad she wasn't judging the competition tonight since every one of them looked like they had superstar potential on that stage.

After all their performances and fluff to fill air time had been completed, it was time for the judges to make their decision, and Nolan and she would do the last performance of the night.  The spotlight centered down on his sexy form and Angela was just as mesmerized as the crowd when he began the haunting strain of the song he'd written himself.

The silence was almost deafening as all the people seemed to hang on every note that escaped his talented fingers.  Without any previous preparation, she sauntered out onto the stage, focusing on the man behind the keys.  Her voice amplified across the auditorium with the lilting lyrics of love and loss that seemed to personify everything in her life and lead her straight to the man of her dreams.

No one else mattered as she finally sat down on the bench beside him and continued to sing out the desires of her heart to the man that finally freed her from a life of sorrow.  As the last verse of the song escaped, she felt as if her entire soul had been bared, and watched as his sensual fingers completed masterfully the song that she'd come to believe as her very salvation.

Without thought, she allowed her fingers to caress the strong lines of his jaw, lost in the music and the longing she found in his own eyes.  As his head turned slightly and he lowered his lips to hers, the magic of the night consumed her as much as the man before her.  The deafening applause of the crowd took several moments to sink in, and they both stared at each other confused as if they'd been lost in a separate place and time.  The stage went dark, and it took them both a few moments to understand just what they'd allowed to happen.

Nolan quickly stood and grabbed her hand, leading them off stage.  The moment they were out of sight from the crowd, he attempted to drop her hand, but she refused to let go.

"You can't keep running away from me Nolan," she whispered desperately, seeing in his eyes the need to escape and feeling it break her heart.

"This isn't the time or place Angela," he had no idea what had happened to them on that stage, and needed some time to think.

"Then when is the right time Nolan," he had to know he was breaking her heart here, she thought feeling tears fill her eyes.  "Does my loving you just not matter at all?"  She hadn't meant to blurt that out, and the thought that he would pity her forced her feet to move away.  She couldn't believe she just admitted that to him, here of all places.

He stood stunned for several seconds at her confession, and watched as she walked away.  She loved him, the thought filled his soul with an elation that surpassed anything he'd ever felt before in his adult life.  So why aren't you running after her, idiot? His reasoning finally kicked in, and he walked after her quickly, stopping only to grab her arm and turn her to face him.  "You can't drop a bomb like that and just walk away Ang."

She was embarrassed for a few seconds then pissed off.  "Why not Nolan, you're always walking away from me."  She didn't know how to do this love thing, and part of her wanted to run away before he told her that she was just confusing passion with love, or something just as cynical that she'd expect from the man everyone else seemed to think he was.

"Don't you understand I'm trying to protect you sweetheart," he pulled her into his arms, surprised as she struggled against him.  "Stop fighting me damn it!"

"Make me," she had no idea why she felt the need to challenge him, but if he was going to tell her that he didn't feel the same, she'd rather not hear it."

He couldn't have stopped the chuckle her words forced from him if he tried as he held her tightly against him.  "You really shouldn't have said that Ang," lowering his lips, he kissed her passio
nately, demanding she respond.  The only thing that stopped him from doing what he truly wanted was the sound of people surrounding them, that finally broke through his mind and registered where they were at.  "Shows over folks," he broke the kiss and gave his trademark smirk before pulling a stunned Angela down the hall and into a private room.

He locked the door behind them, and she felt a nervous anticipation that had her backing away slowly.  The look in his eyes was so lovingly familiar that she wasn't frightened but definitely a little wary.  He'd given her that same look before he took her in the cabin.  "Nolan there are tons of people out there waiting for us," her voice trembled as she continued to back away.

"They can wait," he smirked and walked forward, stalking her like prey.  The thought of being inside her consumed all his thoughts and giving him no time for second guessing himself.

"They'll all know what we're doing," she didn't really care but the tremor of need that moved through her body frightened her more than being on stage in front of thousands of people, even if she wanted it more than anything else at that moment.

She was against the wall, with nowhere to run, and he smiled devilishly as his hands went to either side of her body, pinning her.  "Then they can dream it's them in here with you, of course they'll never be that fortunate because you're mine." Lowering his lips to hers again, he kissed her deeply, daring her to deny him.

When he kissed her that way, she couldn't think about the rest of the world, only the amazing feelings he created.  "I want you," she whispered as his lips finally broke away.